An Ounce of Cure Essay

There comes a time in every person’s life when they reach the point where they are no longer a child, but an adult. â€Å"coming of age† is not something that usually happens in one exact moment but a gradual experience. In Alice Munro’s â€Å"An Ounce of Cure†, the narrator recalls her past as a teenager. During these years, she experiences heart-wrenching situations that no one her age should ever have to experience. Though, this leads to her â€Å"crossing the bridge of innocence†. Although â€Å"coming of age† is a positive turn, it requires negative experiences to be complete. The narrator endeavors the â€Å"coming of age† through her poor relationship choices, depression and irresponsibility. The narrator’s complicated relationship with her previous boyfriend, Martin Collingwood, triggers a lot of complex situations, which ultimately leads to her rapid maturity. This becomes evident in the story when she reflects on her relationship and realizes all its faults. â€Å"It doesn’t really surprise me- to remember all the stupid, sad, half-ashamed things I did, that people in love always do† (Munro 79). It becomes clear that the narrator realizes that the poor relationship, she was involved in is all a mistake. Being able to realize the mistake, indicates her maturity. She now understands that it is not worth spending her life in regret for her previous actions and moves on. Similarly, the narrator explains her feelings towards Martin after her breakup, â€Å"But there was a positive, a splendidly unexpected result†¦I got completely over Martin Collingwood† (84). Although Martin, being the narrator’s first boyfriend, she is quickly able to overcome her sorrow, misery and self-inflicted pain that she went through during the past days. This would seem difficult for her considering it was her first love, as well as her constantly recalling back to the moment they kissed, â€Å"I would torture myself with the exact recollection of Martin kissing my throat† (80). All the problems and situations caused by her past relationship has resulted in a deep depression that the narrator suffers for days to come. The narrator’s inability to get over her previous relationship, leads to her downfall that she encounters. Accordingly, when the narrator sees her previous boyfriend in a school play, she begins to reflect on her past. â€Å"The beginning of months of real, if more or less self inflicted misery for me† (77). The narrator experiences suicidal thoughts, being the true reason that she becomes an adult. However, there is a silver lining to her depression. Experiencing such feelings at a young age helps her to mature and grow quicker than most. She is able to come to terms with herself and accept that what happened, happened for reasons that are beyond her control. One would never be able to admit that they cause themselves misery, as the narrator did. Likewise, when the narrator comes home after babysitting the night of the incident, she explains what happened to her mother. â€Å"I told her everything from the start, not omitting even the name of Martin Collingwood and my flirtation with the aspirin bottle, which was a mistake† (80). It becomes evident that the narrator has gone through serious depression and ultimately suicide in a desperate escape to end her misery. Having the ability to come out in the open during her conversation with her mother and explaining the situations that she has been through demonstrates without a reasonable doubt that she grew not only mentally, but psychologically as an adult. Her immense courage is revealed when she comes to terms with her situation in the conversation between her and her mother. The depression that the narrator experiences contributes to her experiencing the â€Å"coming of age† and leads to her irresponsibility, being the final reason for the narrator to experience â€Å"coming of age† â€Å"Coming of age† exists through the narrator’s irresponsibility. While babysitting at the Berrymans alcohol seems to be her escape. â€Å"I poured a little whisky from each bottle†¦I drank it off as quickly as possible† (79). This demonstrates lack of discipline. This situation has allowed the narrator to mature, it allows her to be able to recognize that she was completely responsible for everything that happened that day. Similarity, after Mr. and Mrs. Berryman came home, the narrator realizes why she is unable to hear them at the driveway. â€Å"With the noise we were making, they have no doubt heard us as soon as they got out of the car† (80). The narrator experienced the coming of age because she is able to understand her friends and her irresponsibility that night, by realizing that the reason they had not heard the Berrymans was because of the loud noises they were making. Being able to understand one’s own irresponsibility takes a good amount of knowledge and understanding, that a child would not be able to process, demonstrating the narrator is experiencing the â€Å"coming of age†. Relationships, depression and irresponsibility has shaped the way that the narrator experiences â€Å"coming of age†. All the events that occurred in her life shape the way she lives today. Her rough relationship taught her how to deal with depression situations and overcome them herself. It also showed the narrator things about her self that she may not have known. Lastly, the narrators’ irresponsibility while babysitting was a subliminal cry for help, but truly it was the one step for her towards experiencing â€Å"coming of age†. Ultimately, without the narrator experiencing the negative experiences in her life, her â€Å"coming of age† would not have been complete.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 10-12

CHAPTER 10 Silas sat behind the wheel of the black Audi the Teacher had arranged for him and gazed out at the great Church of Saint-Sulpice. Lit from beneath by banks of floodlights, the church's two bell towers rose like stalwart sentinels above the building's long body. On either flank, a shadowy row of sleek buttresses jutted out like the ribs of a beautiful beast. The heathens used a house of God to conceal their keystone.Again the brotherhood had confirmed their legendary reputation for illusion and deceit. Silas was looking forward to finding the keystone and giving it to the Teacher so they could recover what the brotherhood had long ago stolen from the faithful. How powerful that will make Opus Dei. Parking the Audi on the deserted Place Saint-Sulpice, Silas exhaled, telling himself to clear his mind for the task at hand. His broad back still ached from the corporal mortification he had endured earlier today, and yet the pain was inconsequential compared with the anguish of his life before Opus Dei had saved him. Still, the memories haunted his soul. Release your hatred, Silas commanded himself. Forgive those who trespassed against you. Looking up at the stone towers of Saint-Sulpice, Silas fought that familiar undertow†¦ that force that often dragged his mind back in time, locking him once again in the prison that had been his world as a young man. The memories of purgatory came as they always did, like a tempest to his senses†¦ the reek of rotting cabbage, the stench of death, human urine and feces. The cries of hopelessness against the howling wind of the Pyrenees and the soft sobs of forgotten men. Andorra, he thought, feeling his muscles tighten. Incredibly, it was in that barren and forsaken suzerain between Spain and France, shivering in his stone cell, wanting only to die, that Silas had been saved. He had not realized it at the time. The light came long after the thunder. His name was not Silas then, although he didn't recall the name his parents had given him. He had left home when he was seven. His drunken father, a burly dockworker, enraged by the arrival of an albino son, beat his mother regularly, blaming her for the boy's embarrassing condition. When the boy tried to defend her, he too was badly beaten. One night, there was a horrific fight, and his mother never got up. The boy stood over his lifeless mother and felt an unbearable up-welling of guilt for permitting it to happen. This is my fault! As if some kind of demon were controlling his body, the boy walked to the kitchen and grasped a butcher knife. Hypnotically, he moved to the bedroom where his father lay on the bed in a drunken stupor. Without a word, the boy stabbed him in the back. His father cried out in pain and tried to roll over, but his son stabbed him again, over and over until the apartment fell quiet. The boy fled home but found the streets of Marseilles equally unfriendly. His strange appearance made him an outcast among the other young runaways, and he was forced to live alone in the basement of a dilapidated factory, eating stolen fruit and raw fish from the dock. His only companions were tattered magazines he found in the trash, and he taught himself to read them. Over time, he grew strong. When he was twelve, another drifter – a girl twice his age – mocked him on the streets and attempted to steal his food. The girl found herself pummeled to within inches of her life. When the authorities pulled the boy off her, they gave him an ultimatum – leave Marseilles or go to juvenile prison. The boy moved down the coast to Toulon. Over time, the looks of pity on the streets turned to looks of fear. The boy had grown to a powerful young man. When people passed by, he could hear them whispering to one another. A ghost, they would say, their eyes wide with fright as they stared at his white skin. A ghost with the eyes of a devil! And he felt like a ghost†¦ transparent†¦ floating from seaport to seaport. People seemed to look right through him. At eighteen, in a port town, while attempting to steal a case of cured ham from a cargo ship, he was caught by a pair of crewmen. The two sailors who began to beat him smelled of beer, just as his father had. The memories of fear and hatred surfaced like a monster from the deep. The young man broke the first sailor's neck with his bare hands, and only the arrival of the police saved the second sailor from a similar fate. Two months later, in shackles, he arrived at a prison in Andorra. You are as white as a ghost, the inmates ridiculed as the guards marched him in, naked and cold. Mira el espectro! Perhaps the ghost will pass right through these walls! Over the course of twelve years, his flesh and soul withered until he knew he had become transparent. I am a ghost. I am weightless. Yo soy un espectro†¦palido coma una fantasma†¦caminando este mundo a solas. One night the ghost awoke to the screams of other inmates. He didn't know what invisible force was shaking the floor on which he slept, nor what mighty hand was trembling the mortar of his stone cell, but as he jumped to his feet, a large boulder toppled onto the very spot where he had been sleeping. Looking up to see where the stone had come from, he saw a hole in the trembling wall, and beyond it, a vision he had not seen in over ten years. The moon. Even while the earth still shook, the ghost found himself scrambling through a narrow tunnel, staggering out into an expansive vista, and tumbling down a barren mountainside into the woods. He ran all night, always downward, delirious with hunger and exhaustion. Skirting the edges of consciousness, he found himself at dawn in a clearing where train tracks cut a swath across the forest. Following the rails, he moved on as if dreaming. Seeing an empty freight car, he crawled in for shelter and rest. When he awoke the train was moving. How long? How far?A pain was growing in his gut. Am I dying? He slept again. This time he awoke to someone yelling, beating him, throwing him out of the freight car. Bloody, he wandered the outskirts of a small village looking in vain for food. Finally, his body too weak to take another step, he lay down by the side of the road and slipped into unconsciousness. The light came slowly, and the ghost wondered how long he had been dead. A day? Three days? It didn't matter. His bed was soft like a cloud, and the air around him smelled sweet with candles. Jesus was there, staring down at him. I am here, Jesus said. The stone has been rolled aside, and you are born again. He slept and awoke. Fog shrouded his thoughts. He had never believed in heaven, and yet Jesus was watching over him. Food appeared beside his bed, and the ghost ate it, almost able to feel the flesh materializing on his bones. He slept again. When he awoke, Jesus was still smiling down, speaking. You are saved, my son.Blessed are those who follow my path. Again, he slept. It was a scream of anguish that startled the ghost from his slumber. His body leapt out of bed, staggered down a hallway toward the sounds of shouting. He entered into a kitchen and saw a large man beating a smaller man. Without knowing why, the ghost grabbed the large man and hurled him backward against a wall. The man fled, leaving the ghost standing over the body of a young man in priest's robes. The priest had a badly shattered nose. Lifting the bloody priest, the ghost carried him to a couch. â€Å"Thank you, my friend,† the priest said in awkward French. â€Å"The offertory money is tempting for thieves. You speak French in your sleep. Do you also speak Spanish?† The ghost shook his head. â€Å"What is your name?† he continued in broken French. The ghost could not remember the name his parents had given him. All he heard were the taunting gibes of the prison guards. The priest smiled. â€Å"No hay problema.My name is Manuel Aringarosa. I am a missionary from Madrid. I was sent here to build a church for the Obra de Dios.† â€Å"Where am I?† His voice sounded hollow.† Oviedo. In the north of Spain.† â€Å"How did I get here?† â€Å"Someone left you on my doorstep. You were ill. I fed you. You've been here many days.† The ghost studied his young caretaker. Years had passed since anyone had shown any kindness. â€Å"Thank you, Father.† The priest touched his bloody lip. â€Å"It is I who am thankful, my friend.† When the ghost awoke in the morning, his world felt clearer. He gazed up at the crucifix on the wall above his bed. Although it no longer spoke to him, he felt a comforting aura in its presence. Sitting up, he was surprised to find a newspaper clipping on his bedside table. The article was in French, a week old. When he read the story, he filled with fear. It told of an earthquake in the mountains that had destroyed a prison and freed many dangerous criminals. His heart began pounding. The priest knows who I am! The emotion he felt was one he had not felt for some time. Shame. Guilt. It was accompanied by the fear of being caught. He jumped from his bed. Where do I run? â€Å"The Book of Acts,† a voice said from the door. The ghost turned, frightened. The young priest was smiling as he entered. His nose was awkwardly bandaged, and he was holding out an old Bible. â€Å"I found one in French for you. The chapter is marked.† Uncertain, the ghost took the Bible and looked at the chapter the priest had marked. Acts 16. The verses told of a prisoner named Silas who lay naked and beaten in his cell, singing hymns to God. When the ghost reached Verse 26, he gasped in shock. â€Å"†¦ And suddenly, there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the doors fell open.† His eyes shot up at the priest. The priest smiled warmly. â€Å"From now on, my friend, if you have no other name, I shall call you Silas.† The ghost nodded blankly. Silas.He had been given flesh. My name is Silas. â€Å"It's time for breakfast,† the priest said. â€Å"You will need your strength if you are to help me build this church.† Twenty thousand feet above the Mediterranean, Alitalia flight 1618 bounced in turbulence, causing passengers to shift nervously. Bishop Aringarosa barely noticed. His thoughts were with the future of Opus Dei. Eager to know how plans in Paris were progressing, he wished he could phone Silas. But he could not. The Teacher had seen to that. â€Å"It is for your own safety,† the Teacher had explained, speaking in English with a French accent. â€Å"I am familiar enough with electronic communications to know they can be intercepted. The results could be disastrous for you.† Aringarosa knew he was right. The Teacher seemed an exceptionally careful man. He had not revealed his own identity to Aringarosa, and yet he had proven himself a man well worth obeying. After all, he had somehow obtained very secret information. The names of the brotherhood's fourtop members! This had been one of the coups that convinced the bishop the Teacher was truly capable of delivering the astonishing prize he claimed he could unearth. â€Å"Bishop,† the Teacher had told him,† I have made all the arrangements. For my plan to succeed, you must allow Silas to answer only to me for several days. The two of you will not speak. I will communicate with him through secure channels.† â€Å"You will treat him with respect?† â€Å"A man of faith deserves the highest.† â€Å"Excellent. Then I understand. Silas and I shall not speak until this is over.† â€Å"I do this to protect your identity, Silas's identity, and my investment.† â€Å"Your investment?† â€Å"Bishop, if your own eagerness to keep abreast of progress puts you in jail, then you will be unable to pay me my fee.† The bishop smiled. â€Å"A fine point. Our desires are in accord. Godspeed.† Twenty million euro,the bishop thought, now gazing out the plane's window. The sum was approximately the same number of U. S. dollars. A pittance for something so powerful. He felt a renewed confidence that the Teacher and Silas would not fail. Money and faith were powerful motivators. CHAPTER 11 â€Å"Une plaisanterie numerique?† Bezu Fache was livid, glaring at Sophie Neveu in disbelief. A numeric joke?† Your professional assessment of Sauniere's code is that it is some kind of mathematical prank?† Fache was in utter incomprehension of this woman's gall. Not only had she just barged in on Fache without permission, but she was now trying to convince him that Sauniere, in his final moments of life, had been inspired to leave a mathematical gag? â€Å"This code,† Sophie explained in rapid French,† is simplistic to the point of absurdity. Jacques Sauniere must have known we would see through it immediately.† She pulled a scrap of paper from her sweater pocket and handed it to Fache. â€Å"Here is the decryption.† Fache looked at the card. 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21 â€Å"This is it?† he snapped. â€Å"All you did was put the numbers in increasing order!† Sophie actually had the nerve to give a satisfied smile. â€Å"Exactly.† Fache's tone lowered to a guttural rumble. â€Å"Agent Neveu, I have no idea where the hell you're going with this, but I suggest you get there fast.† He shot an anxious glance at Langdon, who stood nearby with the phone pressed to his ear, apparently still listening to his phone message from the U.S. Embassy. From Langdon's ashen expression, Fache sensed the news was bad. â€Å"Captain,† Sophie said, her tone dangerously defiant,† the sequence of numbers you have in your hand happens to be one of the most famous mathematical progressions in history.† Fache was not aware there even existed a mathematical progression that qualified as famous, and he certainly didn't appreciate Sophie's off-handed tone. â€Å"This is the Fibonacci sequence,† she declared, nodding toward the piece of paper in Fache's hand.† A progression in which each term is equal to the sum of the two preceding terms.† Fache studied the numbers. Each term was indeed the sum of the two previous, and yet Fache could not imagine what the relevance of all this was to Sauniere's death. â€Å"Mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci created this succession of numbers in the thirteenth-century. Obviously there can be no coincidence that all of the numbers Sauniere wrote on the floor belong to Fibonacci's famous sequence.† Fache stared at the young woman for several moments. â€Å"Fine, if there is no coincidence, would you tell me why Jacques Sauniere chose to do this. What is he saying? What does this mean?† She shrugged. â€Å"Absolutely nothing. That's the point. It's a simplistic cryptographic joke. Like taking the words of a famous poem and shuffling them at random to see if anyone recognizes what all the words have in common.† Fache took a menacing step forward, placing his face only inches from Sophie's. â€Å"I certainly hope you have a much more satisfying explanation than that.† Sophie's soft features grew surprisingly stern as she leaned in. â€Å"Captain, considering what you have at stake here tonight, I thought you might appreciate knowing that Jacques Sauniere might be playing games with you. Apparently not. I'll inform the director of Cryptography you no longer need our services.† With that, she turned on her heel, and marched off the way she had come. Stunned, Fache watched her disappear into the darkness. Is she out of her mind? Sophie Neveu had just redefined le suicide professionnel. Fache turned to Langdon, who was still on the phone, looking more concerned than before, listening intently to his phone message. The U. S.Embassy.Bezu Fache despised many things†¦ but few drew more wrath than the U. S. Embassy. Fache and the ambassador locked horns regularly over shared affairs of state – their most common battleground being law enforcement for visiting Americans. Almost daily, DCPJ arrested American exchange students in possession of drugs, U. S. businessmen for soliciting underage Prostitutes, American tourists for shoplifting or destruction of property. Legally, the U. S. Embassy could intervene and extradite guilty citizens back to the United States, where they received nothing more than a slap on the wrist. And the embassy invariably did just that. L'emasculation de la Police Judiciaire, Fache called it. Paris Match had run a cartoon recently depicting Fache as a police dog, trying to bite an American criminal, but unable to reach because it was chained to the U. S. Embassy. Not tonight, Fache told himself. There is far too much at stake. By the time Robert Langdon hung up the phone, he looked ill. â€Å"Is everything all right?† Fache asked. Weakly, Langdon shook his head. Bad news from home, Fache sensed, noticing Langdon was sweating slightly as Fache took back his cell phone. â€Å"An accident,† Langdon stammered, looking at Fache with a strange expression. â€Å"A friend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated. â€Å"I'll need to fly home first thing in the morning.† Fache had no doubt the shock on Langdon's face was genuine, and yet he sensed another emotion there too, as if a distant fear were suddenly simmering in the American's eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry to hear that,† Fache said, watching Langdon closely. â€Å"Would you like to sit down?† He motioned toward one of the viewing benches in the gallery. Langdon nodded absently and took a few steps toward the bench. He paused, looking more confused with every moment. â€Å"Actually, I think I'd like to use the rest room.† Fache frowned inwardly at the delay. â€Å"The rest room. Of course. Let's take a break for a few minutes.† He motioned back down the long hallway in the direction they had come from. â€Å"The rest rooms are back toward the curator's office.† Langdon hesitated, pointing in the other direction toward the far end of the Grand Gallery corridor.† I believe there's a much closer rest room at the end.† Fache realized Langdon was right. They were two thirds of the way down, and the Grand Gallery dead-ended at a pair of rest rooms. â€Å"Shall I accompany you?† Langdon shook his head, already moving deeper into the gallery. â€Å"Not necessary. I think I'd like a few minutes alone.† Fache was not wild about the idea of Langdon wandering alone down the remaining length of corridor, but he took comfort in knowing the Grand Gallery was a dead end whose only exit was at the other end – the gate under which they had entered. Although French fire regulations required several emergency stairwells for a space this large, those stairwells had been sealed automatically when Sauniere tripped the security system. Granted, that system had now been reset, unlocking the stairwells, but it didn't matter – the external doors, if opened, would set off fire alarms and were guarded outside by DCPJ agents. Langdon could not possibly leave without Fache knowing about it. â€Å"I need to return to Mr. Sauniere's office for a moment,† Fache said. â€Å"Please come find me directly, Mr. Langdon. There is more we need to discuss.† Langdon gave a quiet wave as he disappeared into the darkness. Turning, Fache marched angrily in the opposite direction. Arriving at the gate, he slid under, exited the Grand Gallery, marched down the hall, and stormed into the command center at Sauniere's office. â€Å"Who gave the approval to let Sophie Neveu into this building!† Fache bellowed. Collet was the first to answer. â€Å"She told the guards outside she'd broken the code.† Fache looked around. â€Å"Is she gone?† â€Å"She's not with you?† â€Å"She left.† Fache glanced out at the darkened hallway. Apparently Sophie had been in no mood to stop by and chat with the other officers on her way out. For a moment, Fache considered radioing the guards in the entresol and telling them to stop Sophie and drag her back up here before she could leave the premises. He thought better of it. That was only his pride talking†¦ wanting the last word. He'd had enough distractions tonight. Deal with Agent Neveu later, he told himself, already looking forward to firing her. Pushing Sophie from his mind, Fache stared for a moment at the miniature knight standing on Sauniere's desk. Then he turned back to Collet. â€Å"Do you have him?† Collet gave a curt nod and spun the laptop toward Fache. The red dot was clearly visible on the floor plan overlay, blinking methodically in a room marked TOILETTES PUBLIQUES. â€Å"Good,† Fache said, lighting a cigarette and stalking into the hall. I've got a phone call to make. Be damned sure the rest room is the only place Langdon goes.† CHAPTER 12 Robert Langdon felt light-headed as he trudged toward the end of the Grand Gallery. Sophie's phone message played over and over in his mind. At the end of the corridor, illuminated signs bearing the international stick-figure symbols for rest rooms guided him through a maze-like series of dividers displaying Italian drawings and hiding the rest rooms from sight. Finding the men's room door, Langdon entered and turned on the lights. The room was empty. Walking to the sink, he splashed cold water on his face and tried to wake up. Harsh fluorescent lights glared off the stark tile, and the room smelled of ammonia. As he toweled off, the rest room's door creaked open behind him. He spun. Sophie Neveu entered, her green eyes flashing fear. â€Å"Thank God you came. We don't have much time.† Langdon stood beside the sinks, staring in bewilderment at DCPJ cryptographer Sophie Neveu. Only minutes ago, Langdon had listened to her phone message, thinking the newly arrived cryptographer must be insane. And yet, the more he listened, the more he sensed Sophie Neveu was speaking in earnest. Do not react to this message.Just listen calmly.You are in danger rightnow.Follow my directions very closely.Filled with uncertainty, Langdon had decided to do exactly as Sophie advised. He told Fache that the phone message was regarding an injured friend back home. Then he had asked to use the rest room at the end of the Grand Gallery. Sophie stood before him now, still catching her breath after doubling back to the rest room. In the fluorescent lights, Langdon was surprised to see that her strong air actually radiated from unexpectedly soft features. Only her gaze was sharp, and the juxtaposition conjured images of a multilayered Renoir portrait†¦ veiled but distinct, with a boldness that somehow retained its shroud of mystery. â€Å"I wanted to warn you, Mr. Langdon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sophie began, still catching her breath,† that you are sous surveillance cachee.Under a guarded observation.† As she spoke, her accented English resonated off the tile walls, giving her voice a hollow quality. â€Å"But†¦ why?† Langdon demanded. Sophie had already given him an explanation on the phone, but he wanted to hear it from her lips. â€Å"Because,† she said, stepping toward him,† Fache's primary suspect in this murder is you.† Langdon was braced for the words, and yet they still sounded utterly ridiculous. According to Sophie, Langdon had been called to the Louvre tonight not as a symbologist but rather as a suspect and was currently the unwitting target of one of DCPJ's favorite interrogation methods – surveillance cachee – a deft deception in which the police calmly invited a suspect to a crime scene and interviewed him in hopes he would get nervous and mistakenly incriminate himself. â€Å"Look in your jacket's left pocket,† Sophie said. â€Å"You'll find proof they are watching you.† Langdon felt his apprehension rising. Look in my pocket? It sounded like some kind of cheap magic trick. â€Å"Just look.† Bewildered, Langdon reached his hand into his tweed jacket's left pocket – one he never used. Feeling around inside, he found nothing. What the devil did you expect? He began wondering if Sophie might just be insane after all. Then his fingers brushed something unexpected. Small and hard. Pinching the tiny object between his fingers, Langdon pulled it out and stared in astonishment. It was a metallic, button-shaped disk, about the size of a watch battery. He had never seen it before. â€Å"What the†¦ ?† â€Å"GPS tracking dot,† Sophie said. â€Å"Continuously transmits its location to a Global Positioning System satellite that DCPJ can monitor. We use them to monitor people's locations. It's accurate within two feet anywhere on the globe. They have you on an electronic leash. The agent who picked you up at the hotel slipped it inside your pocket before you left your room.† Langdon flashed back to the hotel room†¦ his quick shower, getting dressed, the DCPJ agent politely holding out Langdon's tweed coat as they left the room. It's cool outside, Mr.Langdon, the agent had said. Spring in Paris is not all your song boasts.Langdon had thanked him and donned the jacket. Sophie's olive gaze was keen. â€Å"I didn't tell you about the tracking dot earlier because I didn't want you checking your pocket in front of Fache. He can't know you've found it.† Langdon had no idea how to respond. â€Å"They tagged you with GPS because they thought you might run.† She paused. â€Å"In fact, they hopedyou would run; it would make their case stronger.† â€Å"Why would I run!† Langdon demanded. â€Å"I'm innocent!† â€Å"Fache feels otherwise.† Angrily, Langdon stalked toward the trash receptacle to dispose of the tracking dot. â€Å"No!† Sophie grabbed his arm and stopped him. â€Å"Leave it in your pocket. If you throw it out, the signal will stop moving, and they'll know you found the dot. The only reason Fache left you alone is because he can monitor where you are. If he thinks you've discovered what he's doing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sophie did not finish the thought. Instead, she pried the metallic disk from Langdon's hand and slid it back into the pocket of his tweed coat. â€Å"The dot stays with you. At least for the moment.† Langdon felt lost. â€Å"How the hell could Fache actually believe I killed Jacques Sauniere!† â€Å"He has some fairly persuasive reasons to suspect you.† Sophie's expression was grim. â€Å"There is a piece of evidence here that you have not yet seen. Fache has kept it carefully hidden from you.† Langdon could only stare. â€Å"Do you recall the three lines of text that Sauniere wrote on the floor?† Langdon nodded. The numbers and words were imprinted on Langdon's mind. Sophie's voice dropped to a whisper now. â€Å"Unfortunately, what you saw was not the entire message. There was a fourth line that Fache photographed and then wiped clean before you arrived.† Although Langdon knew the soluble ink of a watermark stylus could easily be wiped away, he could not imagine why Fache would erase evidence. â€Å"The last line of the message,† Sophie said,† was something Fache did not want you to know about.† She paused. â€Å"At least not until he was done with you.† Sophie produced a computer printout of a photo from her sweater pocket and began unfolding it. â€Å"Fache uploaded images of the crime scene to the Cryptology Department earlier tonight in hopes we could figure out what Sauniere's message was trying to say. This is a photo of the complete message.† She handed the page to Langdon. Bewildered, Langdon looked at the image. The close-up photo revealed the glowing message on the parquet floor. The final line hit Langdon like a kick in the gut. 13-3-2-21-1-1-8-5 O, Draconian devil! Oh, lame saint! P. S.Find Robert Langdon

Mobile Phones Should Be Banned While Driving Essay

The risk of getting into a car accident while talking on a mobile phone while driving is growing as the number of mobile phone subscribers increases. Engaging in a phone conversation on a mobile phone while driving distracts the brain and delays reaction times which are more likely to cause drivers to swerve between lanes, slow down and miss important signs. Mobile phones should be banned while driving because they are risky. An Australian study conducted in 2005, estimated that the risk of a collision when using a mobile phone was four times higher than the risk when a mobile phone was not being used. 456 drivers who owned phones, were involved in crashes. By collecting these drivers’ mobile phone records, scientists determined those who made telephone calls just before the time of the crash. Case crossover analysis of mobile phone habits enabled the scientists to calculate the increase in risk. Even hands-free devices were not that safer. An earlier study in 2003, integrated data from questionnaires, mobile phone companies and crash records kept by the police. It found that the overall relative risk (RR) of having an accident for mobile phone users when compared to non-mobile phone users averaged 1.38 across all groups. The RR was then adjusted for kilometers driven per year and other crash exposures. When this was done RR was 1.11 for men and 1.21 for women. The study also revealed that increased mobile phone use correlated with an increase in RR. However, there are some objections to the call for the ban of mobile phone use while driving. According to the Associated Press, CTIA – The Wireless Association, a mobile phone trade group in America, objected to a complete ban. Its vice-president, John Walls, is reported as saying, â€Å" we think that you can sensibly and safely use a mobile phone to make a brief call.† Although there are objections, there is sufficient evidence to prove that using a mobile phone while driving is risky. Using a mobile phone while driving, taxes the cognitive skills of the brain at the expense of driving. The vast majority of drivers have no idea that using the mobile phone while driving is risky. >argumentative essay<

Globalisation for a country’s economy Essay

â€Å"The transformation of national segmented financial markets into integrated parts of the global financial market – the globalisation process – involves complex cross-border and cross-sectoral integration in which capital movements and financial services are key determinants.† (Oxelheim, 1996, p. 21) The large multi national corporations (MNC’s) play a major role in this transformation process, as it is these organisations that have a very wide variety of funding options. A number of the large corporations engage in arbitrage between various international markets that are less efficient and in those that are more efficient. Financial markets in a country compete with one another and with the other markets around the globe, they are all connected. The government usually plays an important role in the national financial markets, as it has the power to increase or decrease money supply within the economy. The government usually uses the central bank of the country to perform these operations. The major financial markets are the equity markets, credit market and the foreign exchange market. The government and monetary authorities like the central bank, prudential regulation authorities and other similar organisations of the country are responsible for market regulations and supervision. The global financial system consists of the interaction between various national financial systems. Buyer and sellers of certain financial instruments trade across their national borders. There have been a number of different factors that have influenced the globalisation process, these factors have led to economies forming some new regulations and the deregulation of the current capital controls and factors like market efficiency, flexibility and credibility. Imperfections in the domestic financial markets are what gave way to the development of Euro markets. Global finance encloses an odd combination of the most perfect (where there is free trade and less deregulation) and  imperfect (where there is high regulation to protect the local market from losing out to the outside markets due to competition) money and capital markets of the world. Most countries interfere in the foreign exchange market to make their currencies more stable by changing various policies and buying and selling foreign currencies. It should be understood that fluctuations in foreign exchange markets are due to the economic conditions and policies of the country. Giddy says â€Å"Currency markets are efficient, but many national capital markets are not; these national markets are partially, but not wholly, linked to the global market.† (Giddy, 1994, p. 6) From the past it can be seen that the increase in economic integration and the redistribution of financial resources within the region were important factors. Borrowing from another country was a significant force. â€Å"Economic integration and regional redistribution generated competitive pressure, which made a de jure deregulation more or less unavoidable in most countries.† (Oxelheim, 1996, p. 27) Financial innovations like developing a number of new financial products and instruments have been made possible by the developments in information technology. According to Jensen (1989), financial innovations have in general had a positive impact on the economy, as they have improved corporate access to capital and communication between management and corporate stakeholders. However, they have also reduced the usefulness of current international statistics in the monitoring of international capital flows. The core of the global market is the Eurocurrency and Eurobond markets. The increasing number of financial products like futures, options, interest rate swaps, and various other financial instruments used by participants in the international financial market, have helped in overcoming market imperfections in the global market. The Foreign-Exchange market This market establishes the price of each (domestic) currency in terms of other (foreign) currencies. Currencies are bought and sold in exchange for one another throughout the day over the telephone market by individuals, companies, securities firms, and central banks, all of which deal with the foreign-exchange traders at commercial banks. The actions of the governments buying and selling foreign currencies affect the prices of the currency and should be anticipated by the foreign exchange traders. Residents of certain countries may prefer to hold assets denominated in foreign currencies if their home currency is not stable due to high and variable inflation (value of domestic currency compared to the others may be poor). Hence, the residents of these countries might prefer to hold their assets in foreign currency denominated assets in order to protect their real wealth. The foreign exchange balances may offset some financial risks. â€Å"Foreign currency denominated assets may serve as a direct hedge for the exchange risk associated with anticipated foreign currency liabilities.† (Levich, 1998, p.67) This would be good for the economy, this would offset some of the financial risk. Another view is that domestic residents may feel that certain foreign currency assets are undervalued and hence may purchase these assets converting the currency to earn a higher return. Residents would use the domestic currency for all transactions with in the country, they may desire to hold foreign currency as an asset or store of value. The value of all currencies is not determined by the transactions in the foreign exchange market. Some currencies are pegged to other currencies, for example the Malaysian Ringgit is pegged to the US Dollar. A number of the governments influence the value of their currencies by open market buying or selling, hence push the price up or down.

Aspects of power in organisations Literature review

Aspects of power in organisations - Literature review Example Based on this context, it is evident that the consideration of organisational politics can offer a basis for challenging the existing paradigm (Sparks, Faragher & Cooper 2001, p. 503). This paper seeks to report the existing literature on power in the context of a noteworthy branch of organisation management, human resource management. The rationale of this paper is informed by the need to raise the profile of the politics of power in HRM. Literature Review The fundamental question that informs this literature review concerns what power has to do with HRM. Reading through HRM textbooks, it quickly becomes clear that power as an idea is rarely examined explicitly (Rigg & Trehan 2004, p. 157). Whenever the issue of power is tackled directly, it is mostly as a question of negotiating power between the organisation and its labour force, the responsibility of empowerment, or the power of organisational leaders to execute punishment or rewards (Ali 2012, p. 983). However, indirectly, power can be termed as an interesting topic in the HRM literature since it prompts the question of the status or influence of HRM as a critical function in organisations. In the context of HRM in organisations, power refers to the deliberate influence over the behaviours, emotions and beliefs of the workforce. However, according to Witt, Andrews & Kacmar (2000, p. 343) power is largely ubiquitous since without power (typified through influence) it is impossible to have cooperation and stability within the organisation. However, by and large, the execution of power often results in problems, which typically stem from the visions of people with power, as well as the way they use their power. Observations have been made regarding the growing significance of HRM in organisations in the last few decades. The human resource (HR) department has become the central figure of organisations, and the question of the influence and role of the HR department has come to the forefront (De Leede & Looise 2005, p. 115). Historical accounts have analysed the emergence of power among HR specialists in organisations, there is no empirical work specifically related to the application of power by HR specialists (Harley & Hardy 2004, p. 378). The ideal of organisations where the entire workforce works collaboratively toward a mutually acceptable goal is common in most HRM rhetoric. However, the reality is quite different since although teamwork is often regarded as one of the most significant organisational virtues, the workplace is often shrouded in demerits such as competition, antagonism and conflict. It is within this context that an in-depth appreciation of influence and power proves essential. All organisations are comprised of individuals with diverse tasks, personal interests and careers (Gotsis & Kortezi 2010, p. 499). According to Sparks, Faragher & Cooper (2001, p. 494) in order to be successful in getting things done, HR specialists need to appreciate the importance of their c apacity to exert influence on the organisation’s entire workforce. In the execution of their power, a vast majority of conventional HRM programs have taken on, whether knowingly or unknowingly, managerialist or functionalist perspectives. Managing typically encompasses the exertion of influence through the use of power. In the contemporary

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business management - Essay Example Without doubt, scholars have focused on understanding the structure of the electricity industry because it contributes significantly to the United Kingdom economy. This paper will describe the current structure of the electricity industry in the United Kingdom and highlight its contribution to the economy. In addition, the paper will discuss how sustainability affects the business plan of Centrica, one of the companies in this industry. The United Kingdom Electricity Industry has undergone a rigorous transformation process after the privatization efforts of 1989. Privatization of the industry brought forth two types of changes. It led to the privatization of most of the companies in the industry, a factor that introduced a high level of competition. Prior to the privatization, many companies had operated in the public sector. After privatization, it was only logical for the industry to undergo complete restructuring. Some of the objectives that triggered the restructuring of the industry included the creation of a highly competitive electricity market in the United Kingdom. In addition, restructuring would serve to present the industry with financial independence, terminating the reliance on the government. Other supporters of the restructuring process highlighted that it would allow a wider share of ownership. Restructuring of the industry also enabled employees to be actively involved in the success of the differ ent companies. Most importantly, the restructuring of the industry brought forth new realms of possibilities. For example, customer choice became a possibility, and the process separated the monopolies that had existed in the electricity business (Electricity Industry Profile: United Kingdom 2014, p. 29). The privatization reforms in 1989 focused on changing ownership from state to private companies and transferring employees

Two Jumbos Collide in Canary Islands Crash of the Century Research Paper

Two Jumbos Collide in Canary Islands Crash of the Century - Research Paper Example Countless deaths and many high profile airplane accidents took place (Marcellin, 2014). The ensuing investigation of United 173 and the fatal Tenerife crash on the taxi driveway gave in to a new era in aviation. A common factor was highlighted as the cause for all these accidents - Human factor. The human factor introduced Crew Resource Management (CRM) to minimize airline accidents (Federal Aviation Administration). Investigators identified human error as the accelerators of these 70s aviation accidents. Inaccurate communication between the controllers and stringent aviation rules (clock time) as the case of KLM and Dutch air were the most ingredients of Tenerife Clash. Studies by NASA-supported the findings of the investigators listing Leadership, Team Coordination, and Decision Making as the crew errors (Marcellin, 2014). The aviation community adjusted their operations by creating an international standard to study and implement notions that eventually become the core of aviation safety. The human factor was incorporated into flight training with the focus of reducing human errors and optimizing human performance. CRM and Human factor integration has many components including Software (Rules, SOP), Hardware (Aircraft components, design), Environment (Weather, social influences), and Liveware (human element). The liveware is the centre core in modern air operation integrating directly all other factors. It is also the most error-prone and that was the sole evidence to optimize interaction between central human operator (Pilot Flying), the plane, and everyone in the aviation system during the performance of tasks (Marcellin, 2014). The interactions performance and influence behaviour positively and negatively. They include Leadership, Crew cooperation, coordination and communication, Teamwork and Interpersonal relation, Personality and attitude interactions. The interactions were recommended by FAA, and ICAO, which

Paper on Business proposal Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paper on Business - Thesis Proposal Example This would ensure RDH regains its lost reputation and has a competitive advantage in the market. Organizational change in an effective way can be a difficult proposition for any given company, no matter how big or small it is. Many of the multinational companies all around the world have tried to bring about changes related to different aspects of the company. Some have been able to affect the change quite effectively, while others failed to do so successfully. Various factors are needed to be considered while bringing about an effective change or transformation in an organization. Out of those factors the two most important aspects are: a) establishment of a clear vision and b) being able to communicate that particular vision to all the organizational members. In accordance with John P. Kotter, he lays down eight basic steps leading to the transformation of any organization. Out of those eight steps mentioned by Kotter, the third step tells about the creation of a vision for the company to help lead to the change within the organization. It also includes development of strategies which, when implemented, could lead to an effective change in the organization. There is plenty of evidence regarding failure in the efforts made by the organizations to make an effective transformation in its organizational culture because of lack of efficient communication about its vision. The fourth step in organizational transformation, as mentioned by Kotter, is about communication of the companys vision to all its employees and other concerned stakeholders. The next step that is step five includes empowering the other employees of the organization to facilitate working in alignment with the set vision of the company (Kotter 4). RDH has identified that there is a need for change in the culture of the organization. Therefore in order to facilitate such change, they took various steps to initiate the change program. The company then selected Hotel

How does the discourse of sports punditry differ from Sports Essay

How does the discourse of sports punditry differ from Sports Journalism Address the key themes and differencesaround pundits and sports journalists in sports reporting - Essay Example Sports discourse is usually discussed with regard to social, political, cultural and economic factors. Discourse discussion is mainly provided with examples from printed sources in order to show how national identities influence on sports events (Boyle, 2006, a). Both sports texts and events were chosen for discussion in this research. On the one hand, the idea of interconnection of politics and sports journalism can’t be underestimated, especially in the modern world, where sport is another tool in the hands of ‘all-mighty people’, which they use as PR move. If television and journalism are considered to be two main spheres of cultural production, then discourse of sports journalism shouldn’t ‘dumb the culture down’ (Oates, Pauly, 2007). In accordance with the definition provided by Boyle (2006, b): â€Å"Journalism stands accused of sacrificing accuracy for speed, purposeful investigation for cheap intrusion and reliability for entertainment.† Unfortunately, sports journalism highlights sensations and not sports events; presents celebrities and not achievements. Sports journalism is on market. Its main goal is to satisfy the needs of customers. Thus we are to blame no one but ourselves for a shift in sports accents from sports events and achievements to a kind of so ciety column. Critics explain this change from the point of view that sports journalism has always existed next to entertainment and lifestyle journalism. Abrams (2009) claims: showbiz and sports columns in the Sun and the Mirror are preferred by the readers most of all. Nevertheless it is possible to note that these two newspapers are focused on ‘nonserious entertainment’. An interconnection of sports journalism and politics can be exemplified by the sports news coverage of London’s 2012 Olympic bid or England’s hosting of the 1996 European Football Championships. These

International Marketing analysis and strategy of a given product Essay

International Marketing analysis and strategy of a given product - Essay Example The business will involve itself in heavy marketing in order to create a long-term market presence among the low income and middle income customers. Trudea Services was planned in 2005 to be a part-time business venture. It has been asmall business designed to meet the needs of its clients and their pet family members. The company is located in Kikuyu and plans to expand to other towns in response to increasing demand for solar energy appliances. The company understands the value of ourclients money and provides highly effective and efficient solar energy appliances. At Trudea Services, we accept nothing but the best from our suppliers and ourselves. Trudea Services was founded by Joseph Kamau and Anthony Kimunya. The two co-own the company and will oversee the day to day management of company operations. However, the company will hire additional members of staff when it expands its operations. The company plans to invest more than 350,000 shillings in the purchase and supply of low cost solar energy appliances to middle income and low income households in Kikuyu. This is a long term project that is expected to last for more than five years depending on the market performance. The company seeks to make expansions into other markets by establishing branches in those areas including Wangige and Westlands. This requires adequate financing because the project is to be operated in the long run. Therefore, the company aims at maximizing on profits and using the proceeds to expand its operations. The business also plans to source for short term loans from a financial institution. This is a partnership business owned and operated by four individuals. Each of the partners has equal rights in terms of ownership and decisions making. The partners are involved in the company’s daily decision making and decisions are reached subjected to the majority support of the partners. The company is concentrated in a single geographical

Graphic Design and its Influence on Popular Culture and Consumerism Outline

Graphic Design and its Influence on Popular Culture and Consumerism - Outline Example It links the topic to available information and research on graphic design and influence on popular culture and consumerism. Literature review serves to show the extent to which the topic has been covered and the availability of information on the topic of discussion. Research questions are questions that are geared to find the cause and effect relationship or the influence of graphic design on popular culture and consumerism. It will show the scope of coverage of the topic in terms of information capture ability. The methodology section of the paper should build on the description of methods outlined in the proposal. This will be the description of the participants and subjects who took part in the study. It will also describe the tests and other measurement procedures used in the study. The results section of the paper will summarize the data collected and the details of the statistical treatment of that data. After a short assertion of the results or findings of the study, the data will be reported in satisfactory detail that will justify the summaries. Tables and illustrations (if any) will be used to report data because these methods are essential in presenting the data in a more clear and economical manner. All tables and illustrations used will be mentioned in the text with appropriate titles and explanations that will help make them easy to understand. In the discussion section, the results will be summarized, evaluated, and interpreted with respect to the original research questions and hypotheses that will be indicated in the paper. In this section, it will be necessary to examine, interpret, and qualify the results, as well as to draw inferences from them. Theoretical and practical consequences of the results and the validity of conclusions will be suitably discussed in this section. The limitations of the study and suggestions for future work will also be included.

National Regional Approach to Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

National Regional Approach to Innovation - Essay Example It's a very complex thing innovation it doesn't just need an innovative firm to singly do all the work but rather a full innovative firm, and a number of organizations and institutions need to be readily interacting with one another and these should also have many interdependencies to make innovations a success and a complete process. A matrix has been long designed which has been called the innovation matrix in the innovation matrix the key inspiration has been from the traditional manner of the input and output tables but the only different thing is that instead of this matrix making a precise measurement of the flows of intermediate products between countries this matrix makes a It has long been a debate between the theory scholars of innovation that there should be made a systems approach so as to get a better understanding of the dynamics of and that would be more realistic and would provide with more positive ways to make and guide policies than does the linear system of innovation that has long been used. Rosenberg and Kline gave the first initiations towards the systematic approach by putting forth their developed "chain-linked" model this model thus was broadened and deepened and is now what is commonly known as the NIS or the National innovations systems approach. A systematic view is what is presented when the national innovations systems approach is put to use. Various agents, actions and relationships along with interactions with each other on a daily and project based basis are what give rise to innovations. It is a belief of those who follow this system approach that the success of any innovation depends a lot on a long term relationship existing between the various components which would namely be the external organizations and institutions as well and the interaction between innovation organizations. It is also a belief that innovation success would depend on a proper flow of the interaction within the innovation organizations departments, between the colleagues and between the management and the workers, that is also very important. The institutional environment is also believed by the systematic National/ Regional Approach to Innovation 4 National/ Regional Approach to Innovation approach to strongly influence innovative activities and interactions between the innovative agents. REGIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEM

Four Criminal Law Questions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Four Criminal Law Questions - Research Paper Example Thinking about stealing a purse is not enough. One must think about it (men rea) and actually steal the purse (actus reus) for there to be a crime. Constructive possession: where an individual has actual control over property. He may not necessarily have actual ownership or possession of the same assets. A person with constructive control is equated as having the same legal position as a person with actual possession. For example, a person may own a car, and have actual possession of it, but a person who is let the keys and drives the car has constructive possession of the car. Actual possession: is actual control or ownership of an item or piece of property. In the example above, one has actual possession of a car if it is owned by him. He may give constructive possession away to others who may borrow the car, but still maintain actual possession. Mere possession: is the possession of property without ownership of said property. It is the simple physical possession of an item, and does not infer rightful ownership or actual control over the item. No knowledge of the item’s existance is necessary. It is used in child pornography cases many times, as mere possession of such pornography, regardless if one looked at it or maintained control over it, is enough. Actual knowledge of the item in ones possession or area of control is not needed. Knowing possession: possession of materials with actual knowledge that the item is in one’s control. A higher level of possession than mere possession. Used often in dangerous weapons cases, where possession must be knowing; if one didn’t actually know there was an illegal item in his control, mere possession is not enough. Criminal omission: Omission, or the failure to act, constitutes an actus reus (guilty act) when the law imposes a duty to act, and the defendant breaches that duty. Some may have a medical, contractual duty to act, and

Sports Manufacturing in India and China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Sports Manufacturing in India and China - Essay Example Additionally China is developed and has a he population. These would all serve to provide market for the product. The report also recommends that supplier locations be made when examinimg suitable places to invest. Foreign direct investments may be defined as investments that are usually one in a different economy from the investor's and are normally long term. Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) will only be acknowledged as such if the mother company has considerable control over the operations of the foreign company. The UN defined 'considerable control' as the possession of ten percent of the company's shares. They must have the ability to vote and affect decisions within that company.1 Around thirty years ago, foreign direct investment was left to the United States mostly. This was because they had not participated in the Second World War. Consequently, they had some spare resources over and above those ones available to other countries of the world. The dominated this position until the eighties. Some Asian countries began emerging and by the nineteen nineties, China was recognized as one of the not influential lucrative markets for foreign direct investments. India is also another emerging economy and is also considered as one of the most lucrative countries to invest in. A survey conducted by Kearney in 2005 found that China was the best destination for foreign direct investment. The second nation was India and The US came in at a distant third. The statistics also testify to these findings. In the year 2006, China's FDI surmounted to a whooping 18.5 billion dollars and this was an increase of almost six percent. In relation to that, China authorized about twelve thousand seven hundred new companies to be created in the country. Additionally, there were about eight hundred and thirty seven million dollars that were put invested in China by American investors. This goes to show that the environment in China and India is quite favorable for investment. 2 2.0 Description of an imaginary sports manufacturing company 2.1 Product Sports manufacturing companies have numerous ranges of products which they can produce. Some of these include tennis rackets, rugby balls, soccer balls, cricket equipment, bowling balls and many others. However, for purposes of this report, there will be more emphasis on the manufacture of bowling balls. Bowling balls come in different varieties. They are usually differentiated by the sort of materials that are used to make them. Some may be made out of polyester while others may be made of other chemical elements such as Urethane. These varieties could be use as product segments by the imaginary company. The products must also be superior to the rest; quality assurance. Bowling ball manufacture requires consistent and creative use of technology in the production process. There are always new methods of production that are entering the market on a daily basis. Consequently, there is a need to ensure that one's company is well informed about these production processes and that they can implement them a soon a possible. Superior bowling balls are normally maintained by creative engineers. Therefore the imaginary company is characterized by a solid and reliable research and development team. 3 The imaginary company also has to make sure that it lays produce products that are consistent in nature. This means that

Nursing as Defined by Nightingale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing as Defined by Nightingale - Essay Example Women during my time could not go outright and do what they want. Their role is to marry and manage the household. Sidney Herbert, a man close to my heart, knew of my desire to do something more than just be a wife. He respected my choice and has been my friend ever since. For choosing a different path, I have been called an activist. And, because of this choice I had to live most of my life away from my family. My mother was very vocal that she was against what I was doing. Despite this, I persisted. My commitment to the task was growing as I worked everyday to help people to get well. But commitment and will without preparing oneself for the task would amount to nothing. This is the reason why I used the donations I obtained from the war survivors, soldiers and their families, to open the world’s first school for nurses: The Nightingale School for Nurses at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London (Morgan, 1992). It was also at this time that my â€Å"Notes on Nursing† was published. It became popular as a compilation of rules on practical nursing and hygiene (Harmelick, 1969). For me, these notes were not rules, but: â€Å"The following notes are by no means intended as a rule of thought by which nurses can teach themselves to nurse, still less as a manual to teach nurses to nurse. They are meant simply to give hints for thought to women who have personal charge of the health of others.† (Nightingale, 1860) â€Å"It ought to signify the proper use of fresh air, light, warmth, cleanliness, quiet, and the proper selection and administration of diet—all at the least expense of vital power to the patient† (Nightingale, 1860) Basically, the issues that I wanted to answer in this book dealt with: â€Å"the proper use of fresh air, light, warmth, cleanliness, quiet, and the proper selection and administration of diet† (Nightingale, 1860). According to Mr. Selanders these can be combined to form three central

Culture of Laughter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Culture of Laughter - Essay Example Bean is that their writers have determined 'laughter' as a reaction that serves the function of a social sanction. In this context Bergson's research on laughter theory reveals that the function of comedy is to correct the 'follies' of mankind by making them appear ridiculous. In other words, such event in which any actor performs 'antisocially' generates an amusing situation. The power of laughter as a social sanction has thus been elucidated in many comedy movies as well as comics. On the other hand, we have seen that the theory of the 'corrective' function of laughter is inadequate to explain its arousal by verbal wit, which as we have seen is similar to any other type of ludicrous situation in many movies of Loriot. However, this is not the case with Mr. Bean, as Mr. Bean comedies revolve around gestures and expressions. Both the characters represent comedies in a social environment however, the difference exists in their way of representing; Loriot with less expressions and more humour whereas Mr. Bean with more physicality in the comedy. Vicco von Bulow, a German humour performer of comedy remembered as 'Loriot' is best known as a 'cartoonist' for the movies in which he used to perform. His famous work contains television series 'Loriot'. 'Odipussi' and 'Pappa ante portas' are his well known comedies in which he performed not only as a comedian but as a performer. (Loriot, 2007a) Though an all-rounder in artistic works (writer, director and poet), Loriot highlights humour in most of his comedy films and dramas by presenting a series of 'laughing' events, but still one wonders how the sheer relief of such events, whether in the participator who escapes in person or in the observer who watches a peril that passes him touch others, marks a distinct species of laughter. (Gregory, 1924, p. 22) Among all societies one finds a more or less organised system of social sanctions related to the prevailing code of right and wrong. Such sanctions may be positive, that is, designed to encourage socially desirable behaviour or they may be negative, that is, they may serve to discourage anti-social behaviour. Loriot's comedies inhibit all the characteristics of such positive and negative loopholes of the society in such a critical manner that one does not have any option other than to laugh. His comedies are non physical in nature as compared with those of Mr. Bean's and present before us the flaws of modern society in combination with humour and laugher that one does not feel awkward. Though such sanction exist in all societies, and any theory which is to explain their meaning must take account of their various manifestations in totally different types of social structure, but the way Loriot presents our society's dilemmas is much more than what viewer expects. (Piddington, 1963, p. 117) In other words we can say that Loriot presents society in a critical manner. Loriot's Humour If we analyse Loriot's work in the light of Bergson's laughter theory, most of his films represent laughter triggering in a social surrounding. Following the notion that laughter only triggers among humans, his films highlight all the antisocial happenings but in a social environment. This is evident from one of his dramas 'once upon a noodle', in which Loriot confronts a situation where all the restaurant members

Theoretical Analysis of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari Essay

Theoretical Analysis of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari - Essay Example ical Imaginary, the parallels between the enchanting and hypnotizing Caligari and a German authoritarian regime are abundantly clear (Elsasesser, 2004, p. 72). The film seems to equally represent the disturbed German psyche and act as prescient element of the later Nazi regime. This political analytic frame is influenced by Fredric Jameson who criticized structuralism by offering a meta-interpretation of the text. Indeed, the overarching political formulations in this essay will be understood in terms of Jameson’s Political Unconscious (2002) that â€Å"conceives of the political perspective not as some supplementary method, not as an optional auxiliary to other interpretative critical methods current today -- the psychoanalytic or the mythcritical, the stylistic, the mythcritical, the structural -- but rather as the absolute horizon of all reading and all interpretation (p. 17)." Even as Jameson argues for the overarching necessity of interpreting the text through political analysis, this essay also develops a contrasting trajectory for the structural dramatic analysis of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919). The analysis largely follows the historical ontology established by Keir Elam in Semiotics of Theatre and Drama (1980). In keeping with the Saussurean understanding of the shifting nature of the linguistic sign, when possible the analysis adheres to direct critical source material from the early formulations of the Prague School to contemporary Post-Structural incarnations of the cultural object. In all instances the analysis has attempted to go beyond mere critical examination, and also indicate the practical applications a semiotic understanding of theatre and film holds for a dramatic performance. This essay advances both a political and structural analytic framework in the examination of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919). While this theories many be seen to contradict each other, the essay argues that examining the film with these corresponding critical

Corporate crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate crime - Essay Example Corporate crime does not only include in its definition the crimes of tax evasion and the embezzlement of funds. It is a vast concept encompassing crimes ranging from threats posed to human health and safety to threats posed to the environment by the activities of the corporation. A corporation is liable if it does not take reasonable measures to prevent pollution of any kind (Tombs, 2008, p. 20). Corporate crime has been defined to mean two things; the illegal conduct of people of high social status who use their power as a means of breaking the law (Sutherland 1949) or the illegal conduct of a corporate personality (Braithwaite 1984, p. 6). Work related harm is the most common type of corporate crime (Farley, 1987); it is the one most commonly given attention (James 2006, p. 205). People still fall victim to corporate crime in their workplaces and this is because of the omission nature of these crimes. No one notices the lack of some safety devices in a tool until he is involved in an accident of sorts. Many victims of corporate crime are not aware of the liability of a corporation when they get injured. When it comes to work related harm, some workers find a way of explaining their injuries whereas some may be concerned of their work future in the event of seeking redress. Work related harm is widespread and one can easily find many instances of it in the daily life. For example, Westray explosion that took place in 1992 and killed 26 miners got much hype in the media however media was unable to expose the truth of powerful corporations and the corporate crime was swept under the rugs. McMullan (2006, p. 905) analyzing the issue said that â€Å"the absence in the presence of these varied truth-telling exercises was a social vocabulary of corporate crime. This absence marked the limit of the presss ability to tell the truth to powerful corporate and state interests, the place where their

Red Snapper Fishing Regulations Essay Example for Free

Red Snapper Fishing Regulations Essay Recommendation to implement different regulations on Red Snapper fishing. Many people like myself, look forward each year to the overly exciting fishing season to catch the beloved snapper. Season dates along with size and possession limits are nothing new to the fisherman; but when a council decides to shrink a fishing season that is normally a month long down to a meager 9 days it can be heart breaking for many. Maintaining the support and sustainability of these fish is an extremely important task, that no one disagrees with, but when almost taking away the season, in its entirety, one can alter many people’s plans, hobbies, and ways of life. I plan to propose an alternant way to preserve and maintain the ecosystem of these fish while providing adequate and fair regulations for all. The purpose of this report it to persuade the fisheries councils to address the current issues that stand with recreational snapper fishing. I will provide statistics and also analyzed data that I have gathered to conclude as to what the best option is to solve these problems. Current Situation: The amount of anglers in the Gulf of Mexico rises every day with more wanting to catch snapper. For the length of my life there has been regulations to maintain these fish, while they did a great job to preserve life and keep the angler happy, the recent change as of 2014 does not. Many know that these certain fish can, mostly, be found in deeper waters near structure, such as reefs and oil platforms; and also many know that there are numerous organization and petitions to keep old, unused oilrigs standing in the gulf because of their ability to maintain and abundance of wildlife beneath. With more conservation to help these fish thrive why did the councils decide to shrink the season dates from a previous 30+ day season to a minute 9 days when there are other councils also participating to help the numbers of fish? With this drastic change in regulation many anglers, who, in years previous, fished for these snapper, found that it was not worth the time and money it requires to go after them. (Boat Launch) With a limit of 2 per person per day, a 9-day season simply makes no sense. The council did warn the public that the season would be shorter this year, but no one expected it to be a number in the single digits! The federal management of red snapper is based on the numbers coming out of the entirety of the Gulf of Mexico instead of by location, such as state waters. Now that the federal red snapper season has been set at a ridiculously low nine days it reiterates the fallacy of the current federal management of this great fishery. This system cannot be tweaked or incrementally improved. It needs to be totally overhauled; the management of the recreational red snapper fishery needs to be transferred to the states where we can do quality stock assessments and set reasonable seasons commensurate with the biomass that is in the Gulf of Mexico’’, says Alabama Marine Resources Director Chris Blankenship. (Gulf) When states want to take matters into their own hands without any federal management or help, the issue at hand has become quite serious. The councils responsible for negotiations and attributing propositions to the federal  regulation of these fisheries must undertake a new stand and take responsibility in order to serve the public fairly and justly. I believe a simple solution that will help this situation has been previously used for another species of fish. When speaking to Dr. L. Gleeson of the Coast Conservation Association he stated, â€Å" When we passed the motion to decrease the minimum size of Speckled Trout it was because after years of increased conservation we noticed that the population of the species was up about 75%, so we felt that we could maintain good numbers while pleasing the fisherman with a smaller legal size.†(Red Snapper) A simple maneuver that decreases the minimum legal size of the Red Snapper would do just as most want. It could keep the possession limit to 2 per person but allow more anglers to participate in the fishery by allowing the smaller snapper at the shallower oil rigs to be harvested instead of requiring anglers to spend the money and time that it takes to travel the extra nautical miles to the deeper rigs to find the larger, legal snapper. The CCA had its reservations when lowering the minimum legal size for trout but after research of the species for 5 years now the evidences provides belief that the population has not decreased, and spawning has remaining at equal levels. Certainly, you may have questions and reservations as well, but with all of the excess help to regulate and maintain the red snapper fishery there should be no question that this is an effective way to balance the support and establish a new regulation strategy for the recent years to come. I believe if this system were implemented soon we would see related results within the same time frame of a few years, if not shorter. Since there is no season dates for speckled trout, the off-season for red snapper would show normal spawning numbers with no decrease in population. This maneuver is focused mainly on maintaining fishery numbers while improving angler satisfaction and participation. Methodology: I have conducted personal interviews, researched numerous articles online,  and created an online survey in order to support my methodology. My first step was talking to a few strangers at the boat launch who frequently fish for snapper. The questions I asked mainly focused on the topic at hand, more specifically if they agree with the shorter season. While asking questions personally to peer anglers I found that 9/10 people did not fish for snapper this year because of the heavily regulated and shortened season. Most set out in hopes to catch snapper at least twice in a season, but with this 9 day season most couldn’t due to scheduling and time constraints. Many would also like to see an overhaul of the regulation entirely. (Boat Launch) I then created an online survey that I dispersed via Facebook and had numerous random individuals answer the questions at hand regarding this issue. In order to be sure that my data wasn’t skewed or distorted I asked that only individuals who were licensed recreational anglers take my survey. Of the 20 that took my online survey more than 16 actually pursue snapper and of those individuals all of them disagree with the ruling of the federally regulated 9-day season. (Tompkins) Also while searching for related articles online, I found numerous sites with multiple articles of disgust on the issue, multiple reports of upset anglers, and forums filled with questions asking â€Å"why†, the council made this act. (Gulf) Closing: I would like to say that the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council does a great deal to protect our waters and all that swims in it. We, as fisherman, appreciate every effort that the council puts forth in order to maintain and regulate the hobbies and lifestyles that make us who we are! Although we understand certain procedures and acts, this one, in particular, does not seem to advance any goals set forth by the council and the communities that it represents. This proposal aims to reconsider that previous acts set towards the red snapper fishery, or to reconcile the  change all together. As I do understand that this will take time to make these amendments I am willing to do my part and donate whatever necessary to make actions towards this. Thank you for your consideration of my proposal. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me via cell phone at Works Cited Survey: . â€Å"Red Snapper Season 2014.† SurveyMonkey.com. June 18, 2014 In Text: (Tompkins) Interviews: â€Å"Boat Launch†. Greenough, C. Watson, James. Thompson, Paul. Personal interview. June 21, 2014 In Text: (Boat Launch) interview: â€Å"Red Snapper†. Gleeson, Dr. L. Personal Interview. June 24,2014 In Text: (Red Snapper) Website: â€Å"Gulf Recreational Red snapper season reduced to 9 days.† AL.COM. Web. May 14, 2014. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/05/gulf_recreational_red_snapper.html In Text: (Gulf)

Politics and Religion Essay Example for Free

Politics and Religion Essay To answer the hypothetical question whether or not, if I was a political leader in the early seventeenth century, I would use religion to my own ends would be very difficult and daunting. At the very outset, it should be noted that the 17th century was a very exciting period. It was characterized by major movements, shakers, upheavals and pivotal points. To be brief and concise, allow me to offer a timeless, albeit simplistic answer to this above mentioned hypothetical question. My answer would be NO, and I offer three reasons to back my answer. 1. Politics and Religion must never mix. Most democratic countries declare in their state principles and policy that there should be a separation of Church and State. So much so, matters of spiritual import can not and must not exist alongside matters of political and ‘worldly’ dominions. To mix both would be to invite chaos and perhaps, bigotry, social injustice and create inequities due to over zealous religiosity. 2. Lessons in History tell us that religious standards imposed by those who wield political influence crumbled in time. Such lessons definitely point out that indeed, sound judgment dictate that a political leader should not use religion to advance his own ends. We see abdications, uprising and other violent overthrows and civil uprising involving religious disquiet and bigotry towards political leaders, not only in the 17th century, but all throughout history, when religion is used by political hands. Religion, being the opium of the masses may prove beneficial at times, but in the long run, like the effect of drugs or opium, people come to their senses, and again, as earlier pointed out, there must be a separation of matters of faith and matters of state. 3. Using religion to advance one’s ends, no matter how noble is morally wrong. One should use sheer power of conviction, political will and strength of character and unbridled and sterling leadership qualities if one is to be an effective political leader. The use of spirituality or religion in advancing one’s political ends is a moral wrong. This by example, as the Spaniards once were, is called mammon after Christ/Cross. Up until now, the Roman Catholic Church is plagued and beset by the wrongs committed by the Church officials during the dark ages. This only shows that again, Religion and Politics are two ‘incompatible’ concepts, and should be avoided. While an enlightened governance or political leadership is a paradox, it should not be an impossibility. After all, conscientious leadership is a desired trait for a political leader, however, out and out, politics and religion should not be put out in one outfit, especially so in such turbulent a time as the 17th century. For the above stated reasons, I reiterate my answer; No. If I was a political leader in the 17th century, I will not use religion for my own end.

Principal Issues For Research On Secret Trust Social Work Essay

Principal Issues For Research On Secret Trust Social Work Essay I consider that I have reached this outcome and the associated skills because I can identify the principal of issues for research on a specific legal topic. I have conducted my research on a specific topic Secret Trust. I also have found the principal issues of research as required for this topic by expressing a research question. I think the doctrine of secret trust is not a unproductive issue. The difficulties pose in the test and finding of this doctrine clearly point out that it is worth a research topic. The difference between the Wills Act theory and outside the Wills theory makes it extremely grey issue which needs careful consideration. With just a simple attitude the fraudulent party may not be able to take the benefit for him or his family. To identify secret trust, the definition of Wills Act and secret trust and how these are operated need to be considered. I thought that there is some unclear and merely enforceable thought about secret trust. I realised that the case Backwell Vs Blackwell is a significant step to identify the doctrine of frustration. The difference between Wills Act and outside the Wills theory can be identified from it. While dealing with the difference I came across various debatable issues where Wills Act is more preferable to the courts. I found that secret trust can make fraud very easily.According to the court the contracting parties should bare the risk .To avoid these entire complexity force major clause is the proper solution. While preparing my research I thought I need to start from the basic points of law of Trust. Why we make a trust? Why trust is failed? How secret trust is different from the requirement of Wills Act? In Blackwell Vs Blackwell , Re Falkiner and Re Keen Secret trust has three essential element that is intention to create trust, communication of the intention of secret trust to the secret trustee and acceptance of the trust by the secret trustee. After Blackwell various new cases came into force and the doctrine of secret trust has developed but those were not important for my research. The important part was the gift which is absolute but informally agree with the trustee that this is a trust. And it causes problem for the court to prove that it is trust and actual beneficiary is in vary difficult situation he/she may not even know about the trust. To solve it new cases have developed but still remain some confusion. Evidence The first and the second paragraph of my essay clearly indicate that I have demonstrated my skill in successfully identifying the principal issues. In my topic I have tried to identify the problems and complexity in relation to the application of secret trust and tried to focus on the solution to it. I have identified various legal areas in the form of case law which are essential for my research work. The first two paragraphs clearly indicates that I have managed to successfully identify the key issues for research in my topic and demonstrated the required skills of 1) legal sources and research and 2) freedom and the ability to learn. The formulation of my research question regarding the topic plays a vital role in the process. At first I tried to identify the key problems of the current secret trust and commentator view. Text books, journals and other supporting materials helped me considerably in the process. Later I evaluated the probable solutions represented by the legal scholars and the case law. There were several case laws which I studied during th e research process and found them very informative and useful in order to get the total understanding of the current law, e.g. Edwards V Pike, Re Snowden, Re Young, McCormick V Grogan, Allen V Snyder and others. These cases brightened up my understanding regarding the topic. There were some very informative and useful articles I found at the online database. I am Thankful to the University of London for providing such a great source of materials, that helped me a lot as I could not have found those journal in the local database. The article and journal from online library, J E Penners law of trust, the subject guide helped me a lot.Patricia Critchleys comment in dehors theory, Viscount Sumners comment about relation to the statute law and secret trust help me understanding in depth. Lord Hailsham L.C.s comment about destroying the whole object of creating of secret trust and fraud on the beneficiaries gave a very in depth reflection on the chosen topic and guided me maturely through out the process. Outcome 2 Locate and retrieve relevant information on a specific topic using primary and secondary legal sources, in paper or electronic media (including use of the world-wide web). Claim I can locate and retrieve relevant information on a specific topic namely Secret Trust, using primary and secondary legal sources, in paper or electronic media (including use of the world-wide web). In doing the research I first studied my The Law of Trustt text-book written by J E Penner. There I have gone through the Formalities and secret trust chapter, the relevant paragraphs and studied the relevant materials. At this stage I have found necessary information which helped me to get the initial ideas. I went through Westlaw via online law library. There I searched for the Secret trust and this helped to identify the potential research materials. I also went through Lexis Nexis for the cases on Secret trust. First I have studied the definition of formalities as laid down in Statute and text book and after secret trust as laid down in text book and by the case law. Then I have picked the exact definition which is important and I put it in my research. I also studied the examples of secret trust or the areas which can be regarded as secret trust and I felt that some of those were important for my research as they dealt with formal trust and secret trust. I have then studied the difference between the full secret trust and half secret trust which was very crucial and also have gone on study the limitation of secret trust which is basically the main part of my research. I have picked the part which I felt important and wrote my research accordingly. I also studied at some relevant books available in my academy law library; however I decided not to include them in my project as this would mean going into much bigger detail than was required for present purposes. I knew from the very beginning that if I go through the text book and Westlaw I would be able to locate these materials important for the research. Evidence The first step in my work on this project was to search for all necessary cases and other supporting materials. From reading the subject guide and resource books I have identified the most important cases for my research. I have gone through the cases on my text book, the subject guide and study pack. Apart from this I have extensively studied academic arguments, which helped me lot to develop my research. In my research I have used the online sources. I have used both the Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis Library. I went for arguments and article there. I also studied the secondary sources and organize my research consequently. The bibliography of my research essay lists the primary and secondary sources I studied for my research. The case summaries and commentators argument verify that I found primary legal sources relevant to my research area. Outcome 3: Use sources in a critical and reflective way. Claim I can use sources in a critical and reflective way. In paragraphs 3-16 of my research essay. I describe a critical and thoughtful analysis of a range of cases addressing the issue of the doctrine of secret trust. I identified those cases by examining the relevant sections of the text book, subject guide and commentary in Westlaw and then used the Lexis-Nexis database to find the cases and download full case report I have read the cases, found out the specific information addressing the issue of the doctrine of half secret trust and full secret trust, their differences, links and also tried to find the solution to the complexity regarding this area. While preparing my research I always check whether the topic which I have studied has any impact on my research. I have particularly checked Blackwell V Blackwell case and cases related to it. At the time of studying I checked whether any issue deals with half secret trust, full secret trust, their differences and links. I have asked mysel f whether the issues which I was reading have anything to deal with formalities and can help me to find that the distinction between half and full secret trust. For me an issue would be relevant if it anything to deal with secret trust. I have gone through the conflicting decisions and their arguments in favour of those and I got idea for my research. I have come to the knowledge that an argument is important if it has reliability and used for proper purposes. In my research the legal arguments which I have given has strength and weakness. Whenever an argument has the persuasive power in relation to the topic and it can clearly put the picture to the reader then that argument has strength and if it is uncertain and unclear then the argument is unclear. In this regard I gave my effort to provide with the proper argument which put the clear picture to us. Evidence In my research essay I displayed my capability to use both primary and secondary legal sources and reference materials in a critical and reflective way. The case summaries and commentators view as given in the evidence for outcome 1 illustrate my ability to assess the primary legal sources judging their relevance and importance for my research. Outcome 4: With limited guidance, and using a range of legal resources, plan, research and produce an original piece of legal writing some of which should address areas of law not previously studied in depth. Claim I can, with limited guidance, and using a range of resources, plan, research and produce an original model of legal writing some of which addresses areas of law not previously studied in depth. I finished a research essay using primary and secondary legal resources as I already mentioned in outcome two earlier. I had previous idea on law of secret trust. With those slight ideas I started my work. I have attended few group works with my classmates and personal session with my teacher. I drawn my research with these and the oral presentation helped me a lot to complete the research. I have gone through the secret trust and its increasing use in various aspect of law of trust. I studied the purpose of the secret trust, enforcement of the secret trust, dehors theory, criticism of dehors theory, fraud theory and criticism I also studied the issue of testamentary trust. While reading secret trust I have read the impact of half secret trust and full secret trust and thus eventually I have studied the effects of formalities both under common law and under the statute (Wills Act 1837). In dealing with all these issues I have found that the university subject guide does not provide us with material information on this depth area. Evidence My research essay clearly indicates that this area has not been studied in depth. In our class secret trust chapter was dealt in a very short time and we did not have the opportunity go in depth with our teachers. The research essay is my original piece of work it is a genuine writing on a particular legal issue. I am stating that this is my original work. I received limited guidance while doing it. I am aware of the penalties for plagiarism. My claim that this work goes beyond my previous learning is absolutely based on the case analysis I have done while doing my research essay. Outcome 5: Make an accurate assessment of your progress and the quality of your work and, using feedback, identify areas for improvement. Claim I believe that my research essay provides the necessary evidence to show that I am able to correctly identify and critically assess source materials to produce a credible answer to my research question. I consulted a variety of supporting materials, made an accurate assessment of them and drew probable conclusions. I believe I succeeded in selecting the most relevant materials and rejected those materials which were not related to the work or which duplicated information. I received feedback from my classmate Baezid, which allowed me to identify areas in need of change, improvement or clarification. I prepared a short presentation of my work outlining the topic and presenting the principal arguments. I believe that my oral presentation (Outcome 7) increased my understanding of some issues and highlighted those areas that need further work. In addition, the feedback I received from Baezid made me realize that I should focus on selected aspects of my research question and choose the two to three most important articles on the subject in order to be able to produce an essay within the word limit. I consider that I have produced an answer to my research question which is as nearly as possible given the scope of the task. I believe that this work is highly original; it includes many valid questions and thought and could form the basis of a bigger research project. Evidence My research essay and portfolio provide evidence that I have achieved this outcome. In evaluating my work I focused on my research skills, my ability to analyse legal texts and my presentation of arguments. I worked with other students (Elahi and Mahmudul) which allowed me to evaluate my legal research and presentation of argument skills. Each of us prepared a short presentation in which we explained briefly and coherently our research proposals and the main aspects of our work. This was a good practice for my oral presentation (see the PowerPoint slides in Appendix C). In my presentation I focused on the conclusions. As I gave my presentation it became clear that I could not easily explain these, and my friends thought, even from what I had said, that my conclusion contradicted my own evidence. After my presentation, I reviewed my conclusions and saw that I was overstating my case and I needed to moderate my argument and make my points both clearer and more subtle. This presentation with other students also gave me an opportunity to reflect on my presentation skills and help me prepare for the formal oral presentation (see the discussion under Outcome 7 below). Outcome 6: Produce a word-processed portfolio, with footnotes, using appropriate formatting tools, and communicate and exchange documents by email. Claim I can word-process text, with footnotes, using appropriate formatting tools, and communicate and exchange documents by email. I officially state that the full portfolio I have submitted was word-processed by me. The full assignment was completed in Microsoft Word software. I have used font Arial in size of 12 point. I also designed my headings, subheadings etc by using bold and underline format. In my whole legal research I have used 1.5 lines spacing to build it easier to read. the each outcome are in bold and size 14 point, the question of outcome are in 14 point and normal, the heading of claim and evidence are in 14 point size and with underline. In various tome to do my legal research I have faced many sort of problem, in that moment I have take very much support from my teacher and friends. They help me to solve the problem to how can my research essay become well. Without internet this research can not be possible to complete well. I have tried my best to utilize this opportunity by using my University of London portal. After completing my research I have exchanged my research with my teacher friends by email. And I also take suggestion by this email. Evidence The provided legal research essay is the best and appropriate evidence of my achievement. The use of word processed portfolio, footnotes, screen shots of the emails I have exchanged, using a variety of formatting tools etc showed that I have completed this achievement. Outcome 7 Briefly and accurately present and discuss, orally in English, legal information from standard textbooks, leading cases or statutes in a way that responds relevantly to the question asked or topic set and is understood by the audience. Claim I can briefly and accurately present and discuss orally in English, legal information from standard textbooks, leading cases or statutes in a way that responds relevantly to the question asked or topic set and is understood by the audience. I made an oral presentation face-to-face at the Intensive Weekend in my Bhuiyan Academy H 13, R 7, Dhanmondi Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh on 2 February 2011 ( Morning Session). My assessor was Shajib sir senior teacher of my academy. Evidence I include as evidence the PowerPoint slides (Appendix C) which I used as the basis of my presentation, a certificate proving that I completed the presentation (Appendix D) and the assessment pro forma with feedback from Shajib sir (Appendix E) indicating that I reached a high level of competence in the task. Outcome 8: Work as an active and effective member of a team contributing productively to the groups task. Claim I can work as an active and effective member of a team and contribute productively to the groups task. To do research I have took help from two of my associates. They help me very much. They help me to sort out what was the problem of my research, how can I prepare my power point slide, what is the mechanism of screen shots of the emails I exchanged are included as Appendix B. I also improve my research by taking help from my teacher. He also plays a very effective role as a guide of mine. Evidence In my legal research Appendix B and Appendix C I have tried to show my evidence that I have described above. These two appendixes is a mirror of my take help and group work with my teacher and friends. These also provide that how much I have afforded in a group work.